This topic comes up quite a lot on technology websites, but I generally try to steer clear from it as much as possible, since I'm not the one to talk about it (you know, with me being a man and all that), however, I feel it might be a good idea to just get my opinion out there and be done with it. The topic of women in IT is a hot-button issue, so let me just go out guns blazing: assuming women need special treatment, help, protection, and affirmative action is just as insulting and degrading as outright claiming women have no place in IT - maybe even more so.

Affirmative action, reverse discrimination and political correctness are plain unjust, inequitable and dishonest. Affirmative action is as harming as any kind of discrimination.

On one end you have a few members from the so called discriminated minorities or discriminated groups which might feel insulted or offended because they aren't judged by their merits and skills. However the majority of these minorities of groups are happy with the situation, they are using the opportunities and collecting the benefits. They think it is normal to have the others discriminated for their benefits and it's normal to have more rights than others.

The laws enforcing affirmative action and reverse discrimination are the doing of pressure groups and "rights movements" from within those minorities. We have to thank them, not some extraterrestrial intelligence coming from another planet.

On the other end you have the "normal" majority or group whose only guilt is being "normal" or "majority" and is now discriminated by laws. The outcome is anger and resentment.

Who profits? Rights activists, members of think-tanks, some politicians, ideologists and some members of the minorities.

Who looses? Normal people and most important, society of a whole. Resentment and anger will only amplify social tensions.

What has to be done? Provide equal rights and equal treatment to all people. Judge solely on skills, capability and merits. Assign jobs, grants and contracts solely on skills, capability and merits. Give someone subsidized housing, free healthcare or welfare or education because he's poor, not because he's a poor black, or gay or lesbian or latino or chinese or indian or jewish or muslim or buddhist or whatever.

Right now if you're in USA and you are woman, black, lesbian, muslim or jewish and have some disabilities you have 5 time more rights than a white heterosexual christian male.